Circuit: FCW Movie madness

The Sweet 16 pairings in Federal Computer Week’s best government-themed movie competition provided some interesting results, from a cultural and historical perspective.

“In the Line of Fire,” which stars Clint Eastwood as an aging Secret Service agent still scarred by the assassination of President Kennedy, trounced Oliver Stone’s “JFK” by a 40-point margin. It would seem a story of redemption wins out over paranoia. Readers had a more difficult time choosing between two movies about political corruption: “All the President’s Men” had a one-vote lead over “The Manchurian Candidate” when the race was called.

Perhaps the most intriguing bracket in the quarterfinals pits “The American President,” Aaron Sorkin’s view of politics in Washington, against “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.” Jimmy Stewart’s classic movie opened with a sizable lead, just as predicted by political movie prognosticator Anne Armstrong, who also happens to be president of the 1105 Government Information Group, FCW’s parent company.

Looking ahead, the Final Four could feature “Black Hawk Down” vs. “The Hunt for Red October,” a Hollywood equivalent of the Army vs. Navy game.

Click here to enlarge the bracket